Closure flap structure for overshoes or the like



Aug- 1, 1950 c. H. FIT'TERLING 2,517,189

CLOSURE FLAP STRUCTURE FOR OVERSHOES OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 9, 1946Patented Aug. l, rr1950 oLosUan FLAP :STRUCTURE Fon' ovsasnons on 'mauns cmu n. Filterung, south nena, ma., signor to Mishawaka Rubber andWoolen Manufacturing Company, Mishawaka, Ind., a corporation of IndianaApplication December 9, 1946, Serial No. 714,958

2 Claims. l

Ths invention relates to overshoes or the like having an opening at thefront closed by a flap which is permanently attached to the upper at oneside of the opening and overlaps 'and is detachably secured to the upperat the other side of the opening, the invention having reference moreparticularly to improvements in such flap structures. -V

IIn overshoes of the above mentioned type, which are often referred toas gaiters, it is desirableV that the closing flap. hereinafter referredto as the outer flap, and the part which it overlaps, hereinafterreferred to as the inner` nap, be integrally connected with therespective sides or quarters of the upper so as to insure inseparableattachment thereof, the outer flap preferably having an outer facingwhich is a continuation of the outer facing of the side or quarter towhich it is attached so that there is no joint at the front which maycome loose or detract from the appearance of the overshoe.

It is important, moreover, that the flap arrangement be of suchcharacter that the overshoe may be assembled without diillculty by theordinary workman and that the flaps be arranged to t together neatly andclosely not only for attractiveness of appearance but also to insureample protection in cold and wet weather.

The principal objects of my invention are. to provide an improvedovershoe or gaiter of the above mentioned type; to construct theovershoe or gaiter with a pre-assembled ilap insert which facilitatesthe making of the overshoe or gaiter and insures a neat, compact andclose fitting closure; to construct the overshoe upper with aI facingand a lining which are undivided at the front in the assembling andsubsequently slitted to provide the opening at the overshoe front; toincorporate in the assembly facilities by which the slitting isconveniently and accurately accomplished; to permit the edge of theouter flap to be readily contoured in any desired configuration; and ingeneral to simplify the construction of such overshoes or gaiters andinsure a particularly neat and attractive appearance, these and otherobjects being accomplished as pointed out more fully hereinafter and asshown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a perspective viewof an overshoe or gaiter constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view across the front of the overshoetaken on the line 2'2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is front view of. the nap insert em- 55' or inner and outer flaps24 and 2B respectivelyy 2 pioyed in the making of the overshoe, withportions thereof broken away to disclose details of the construction;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the flap insert of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the' lining blank of the overshoe upper withthe flap insert of Figs. 3 and 4 secured in place thereon;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line l--l of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a front view of the slitter plate by which the assembledovershoe facing is slitted down the front of the overshoe; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view across the front of the assembledovershoe upper. showing the operation by which the slitting of theovershoe facing is performed.

Referring to the drawing, the illustrated overshoe is of a conventionalform having an upper I0 with fabric lining II and rubber or othersimilar composition facing I2 and has an opening I2 down the frontclosed by an outer flap Il which overlaps and is securable by snapfasteners to an underlying portion or inner ap I5, the snap fastenerscomprising the usual male element IB on the inner flap I5 and companionfemale element I'I on the outer ap I4.

The upper is formed with a heel covering p0rtion I8, of suitable shapefor the heel of the shoe on which the overshoe is intended to be used,and has the usual'rubber bottom or sole I9 attached thereto, and in theparticular overshoe illustrated, the upper has a collarette portion 2Bextending above the location of the closing flaps I4 and I5.

The lining II of the present overshoe is a single piece of stretchablefabric of a shape substantially as shown in Fig. 5, having a toe portion 2|, collarette portion 20a and heel portions Ita, and is shaped tothe required form of the overshoe upper and has the edges 22 thereofsecured together at the back of the overshoe. The facing I2, which islikewise a single piece of material such as calendered gum' stock,usually embossed with an attractive design, and is of substantially thesame shape as the lining. is secured to the outer surface of the liningII and has edges, corresponding to the edges 22 of the lining. likewisesecured together at the back of the overshoe.

At the front of the overshoe, the lining II is slitted part way down thefront to provide the opening Il, and at a. place laterally spaced :fromthe lining slit or opening Il, the facing I2 is slit as at 2l, therebyproviding overlapping portions of the lining and facing, the slit at I3being along a substantially straight line and the slit 23 beingpreferably along a line which will form the outer` flap with a scallopededge substantially as shown.

These lining and facing flap portions 24 and 25 are reinforced by aninsert which is interposed therebetween and composed of overlying partsseparated by a slit which coincides with the slit I3 of the .lining IIand connected only at their lower ends beyond the lower end of the slitI3, these parts being secured respectively to the front of the liningflap 24 and to the back of the facing ap 25.

The part of said insert which is secured to the front of the lining flap24 comprises a fabric layer 26a which is cemented and vulcanized to thefront of the lining flap 24 and a facing 21 of rubber composition whichis vulcanized on the front face of the fabric 26a and provided with anouter surface embossing corresponding to that of the overshoe facing I2so that when the outer overshoe flap I4 is open and the lower flap I5eX- posed, it will have the same outer appearance as the overshoe upper.

The other part of said reinforcing insert which is secured to the facingflap 25 comprises a fabric layer 28 which is cemented and vulcanized tothe underside of the flap 25 and extends well beyond the slit I3 asindicated at 28a in Fig. 2, and a layer or fabric 26h which is cementedand vulcanized to the underside of the fabric 28 and extends only to theslit I3, and both of these fabric layers 28 and 2Gb extend to the outeredge of the facing flap 25 where their outer edges conform to the edgecontour 23 of that flap.

The edges of the layers 26a and 21 on the lining flap 24 remote from theslit I3 are likewise of the same contour as the slit 23 but extendslightly therebeyond where they are covered by a rib like formation 29of rubber composition which conforms to the outer margin of thecomposite outer flap I4 and provides in eifect a shouldered recessWithin which the outer edge of said comp'osite flap I4 engages in theclosed position of said flap.

The fabric parts 26a and 2Gb are preferably parts of a single piece offabric, such as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 8, doubled over as at 30 andslitted at or substantially at the fold 3U nearly to the lower end toprovide the slit I3, but beyond the lower end of the slit the foldedparts are left connected with one another and at the connected placethere is a patch 3i (see Fig. 4) of a stout fabric secured to the foldedside 26a of the fabric 26 and to the fabric layer 28 beyond the fold 30to reinforce the lower end of the slit I3. In the finished overshoe thisreinforcing patch 3I lies between the lower end of the flap insert andthe lining II and is cemented and vulcanized thereto.

The snap fasteners elements I1 are preferably located in the lobularportions of scallop edged flap I4 as shown in Fig. 1 and the matingelements I6 are correspondingly located on the inner flap I so that whenfastened together the outer flap I4 fits neatly within the shoulderrecess formed by the rib 29'. Preferably the fabric 26a of the innerflap I5 has reinforcing disks 35 (see Figs. 4 and 6) on the rear,covered by the lining II, where the fastener elements I6 are securedthereto.

In making the above described overshoe, an insert which is to providethe parts 26a and 21 of the inner flap I5 and the parts 2Gb and 28 ofthe outer flap I4 is made up separately as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Thisinsert is made Aup with a piece of unslitted square woven fabric foldedover along the line 33 to form superposed parte 23a and 23h whicheventually, after assembling in the overshoe, are slltted at I3 toprovide the parts 23a and 23h respectively of the finished overshoe.said piece of fabric being frictioned or gum coated on all surfacesexcept that constituting the inner side of the folded part 2Gb.

The outer surface of the part 2Gb is laid on a piece 23 of square wovenfabric, which is frictioned or gum coated on both sides, so that aportion 23a of the piece 23 projects beyond the fold 30, and the part26h is stitched or rolled down securely onto the fabric 23 so as toadhere firmly thereto.

A piece of gum stock 21, with the same embossing as the facing I2 issecured to the inner side of the part 28a of the folded fabric strip,after which this assembly is then cut to the desired shape shown inFigs. 3 and 4, preferably with both parts 26a and 26h havingcorresponding scalloped edges somewhat as shown and with the scallopededge of the parts 21 and 23a extending slightly beyond the scallopededge 33 of the parts 2Gb and 28 as indicated at 34 in Fig. 3.

Smallv disks 35 cut 'from frictioned fabric are.

applied to the outer. face of the part 23a where the snap fastenerelements I3 are to be inserted and a small patch 3l of strong coatedfabric is secured at the lower end of the flap insert assembly to thefolded side 23a and the extension 28a so as to extend across the fold3l.

'I'he entire flap insert assembly, thus prepared is then laid on theouter side of the lining blank I I, which is rubber coated on the outerside only, in the position shown in Fig. 5 with the folded edge 30 lyingalong the center line 36 of the lining blank and with the side shown inFig. 4 next to the lining and is rolled down rmly in place on thelining.

A thin metal plate 31 such as shown in Fig. 1 having an upturned cuttingedge 38 of the same contour as the outer edge 33 of the flap insertparts 25h, 23, is then inserted between the layers 2Gb and 21 with thecutting edge 38 abutting against the edge 33 as shown in Fig. 8, afterwhich the outer facing blank of uncured rubber, which is of a shapecorresponding to that of the lining I I, is applied on the lining blankII and over the flap insert and rolled down securely in place thereon.

In rolling the facing blank I2 down yover the front of the flap insert,the hard rollerused for the purpose and indicated at 39, when rolledover the cutting edge 33 causes this sharpened cutting edge to cutthrough the facing blank I2 and produce the slit 23 separating the outerflap portion 25 of the facing from the vportion of the facingtherebeyond.

Then the cutting plate 31 is preferably removed through the slot 23,after which the assembled lining and facing is shaped on the last andthe edges 22 of the lining Il and the corresponding edges of the facingI2 secured together at the back of the overshoe last.

After the assembly of the overshoe on the last, the overshoe isvulcanized thereon, after which the vulcanized overshoe is slit down thefront at the collar 2l and therefrom at I3 along the fold 33, whichpermits removal of the vulcanized overshoe from the last, and then thefastener elements I3 and4 I1 are applied at the proper place to closethe outer flap I4 against the inner ap I so that the outer edge of thenap I4 engages neatly within the corner seal along the rib 2l.

As hereinbefore mentioned, the edges of the layers 21 and 26a extendslightly beyond the edges of the layers 25 and 26h of the outer flap Il,thereby slightly offsetting the rubber facing I2 along the outer edgesof the layers 26a and 21, and thus producing the rib elect 29, and inview of the slitting of the outer covering I2 along the rib formationand the slitting at I3 the parts iit together closely at these placeswhen the overshoe flap I4 is closed and provide a substantiallyweatherproof closure.

While I have shown and described my invention in preferred forms, I amaware that various changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the principles of the invention, the scope of which is tobe limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An overshoe of the class described comprising an upper having anopening at the front and an outer ap which is detachably securable tothe body of the upper in overlapped relation thereto to close saidopening, said upper com prising a lining which is at the inner side o!the upper, and a layer of facing material which is at the outer side ofthe upper and its outer nap, said outer layer having a slit extendingalong the margin of said outer nap and said layer having matchingseparable opposed abuttable faces at opposite sides of said slit.

2. lAn overshoe oi the class described comprising an upper having anopening at the front and an outer nap which is detachably securable tothe body of the upper in overlapping relation thereto to close saidopening, said upper comprising a" lining which is at the inner side ofthe upper, and a layer of facing material which is at the outer side o!the upper and its outer nap, said outer layer having a slit extendingalong the margin of said outer flap, the portion of said layer along oneside of said slit being elevated and forming a shoulder which extendsalong and faces toward the marginal edge of said outer ap.

CECIL H. FITTERLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,625,394 Roberts Apr. 19. 1927.1,644,122 Grimths Oct. 4, 1927 1,691,253 Roberts Nov.. 13, 19281,726,782 Van Dinter Sept. 3, 1929 1,820,149 Mecklenburg Aug. 25, 19311,894,610 Joy Jan. 17, 1933 2,039,476 Dunbar May 5, 1936 2,108,650 CaseyFeb. 15, 1938 2,237,835 LHollier Apr. 8, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 36,927 France May 20, 1930 (Addition to No. 662,888)

